


An exchange of interests

by Pearlislove



Category: Grace and Frankie (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 20:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17669849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearlislove/pseuds/Pearlislove
Summary: Grace and Frankie learn a little about eachother's music taste





	An exchange of interests

**Author's Note:**

> I am a hard core Linda Ronstadt fan. There has never been a singer woth more talent. Naturally, after watching her hauntingly beautiful interview with CBS yeasterday I was gutted in both a good and bad way. It wass very bittersweet and had me in tears.
> 
> Anyway for some reason I imagained Frankie seeing that interview and listening to Linda and well...the rest is history!

"Frankie! Frankie where are you?" Grace called out as she made her way from the kitchen up to the part of the house that she so fondly referred to as 'Frankie's laire'. She knew it was likely she'd find her on the other side of the door, but made sure she could be heard first so she didn't starle her girlfriend.

Coming up to the door, Grace was greeted by the sound of completely unfamiliar music being blasted on the other side. Backed up by a classy rock'n roll drum beat, a young female voice sang herself hoarse about a man who wouldn't love her.

_You put your head on my pillow_

_And you're fast asleep_

_And how do I make you_

_How do I make you_

_How do I make you Dream about me?_

Grace felt confused. She had never heard Frankie play anything like it, it was completely different from her normal style. Pushing the door open properly, she looked around for her girlfriend.

"Frankie, what's going on?" A second later, she spot her girlfriend lying on the couch, the brand new ipad Grace gave her discarded on the floor next to her.

"Grace!" Suddenly jumping into action, Frankie hurried over to the turntable, removing the needle from the vinyl just as the new track started. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She complained as she made sure the machine was turned off.

Grace frowned. "I tried to warn you, but you didn't hear me over your loud music!" She argued. She didn't really want to pick a fight, but her nerves were being frayed. Frustrated, she went to pick up the ipad, accidentally pushing play on the paused video being shown.

" _I want to go out singing. Like, in the middle of a note! Just go waaah and then..._ " The elderly woman on the screen imitated dying, closing her eyes and leaning her head to the side before quickly going back to her earlier position with a large grin on her face.

"Grace, give me that!" Having noticed what she was doing, Frankie came to snatch the piece of technology out of Grace's hands, frantically trying to pause the video once more as the woman continued to talk. "Pause, pause, pause you stupid thing!" She yelled, obviously frustrated as she succeeded with nothing but to back out of full-screen watching.

"Frankie, relax. It's okay." Carefully, Grace removed the ipad from her grip again, pausing the video. "What's going on with you?" She questioned, a little worried over Frankie's strong reaction to Grace catching a glimpse of whatever video she was watching.

"What's going on with me? What's going on with you!" Frankie countered, yet again reclaiming the ipad. "I told you to leave me alone this morning!  I need my me-time to keep my spirits in check!"

Grace arched an eyebrow. "And you do that...how? Listening to half-baked rock 'n roll and..." She glance at the screen in Frankie's hands. "CBS Sunday Morning? Really?" She sighed, holding up her hands in defeat. "Fine, fine, whatever! I was just going to tell you had a package delivered this morning."

"Really?" Suddenly, Frankie seemed extremely interested. "Well why didn't you tell me? I've been waiting all week!" Throwing down the ipad on the couch, she rushed out into the kitchen before Grace could have the time to question it any more.

Resisting the urge to follow her, Grace instead tiptoed over to the turntable, picking up the LP sleeve and looking at it. The cover picture was a young woman with 80s style hair and clothes, a suitably edgy look on her face and a phone in her hand. Made to be looking for all the world as though someone walked in on her in the midst of a private conversation. To finish off the tacky design choices, The hole cover was black and white with the exception of a streak of pink running through the artists name on the top.

"Mad Love with Linda Ronstadt" Grace mouthed quietly, the artist name achingly familiar though she could not say why.

"I am so glad my vinyl got here good and safe! I've been praying for it to arrive safely to a great variety of gods and spirits for the last week and..."

As Frankie came back into the studio, Grace quickly put the cover back where she found it, hoping that Frankie had not seen her holding it as she feared it might upset her.

"Graaaaceee!"

Grace winced. Clearly, she had been discovered as Frankie whined her name, quickly coming up beside her with what looked like another LP held tightly to her chest.

"Yes?" She asked, looking Frankie in the eyes. To her surprise, there was no anger in them. If anything, there was fear and horror, a very unusual look for the always-positive woman.

“Why are you putting your grubby fingers all over my collection? These are original prints! Be careful!” Mumbling about collectors value and respect, Frankie quickly slipped the vinyl back into the sleeve, opening the cupboard on top of which the turntable stood.

Grace had never seen Frankie open this specific cupboard before, but as she did it was revealed to be filled to the brim with LPs.

Grace didn't try to count them, but was certain there had to be at least a hundred of them. She watch in amazement as Frankie very carefully put the record back in its place. Then, she looked down at the second record in confusion, almost as if trying to decide what to do with it.

“I didn't know you liked rock‘n roll.” Grace commented finally, feeling a need to break the silence. “And I thought Linda Ronstadt did American standards. Pop hits, you know.” In the back of her head, Grace suddenly recalled bying one of her records at some point a life-time ago. Lush Life, she recalled it to have been named. Quietly, she wondered if she might still have it or if it disappeared along the way.

“That's the Nelson Riddle recordings. She started with folk in the 60s, then did country and country rock in the 70s. She did rock, american standards and latino music in the 80s. A little of everything in the 90s, then some more standards in the 2000s.” Frankie replied with ease, thumbing through her collection faster than she could see the covers that flew by.

Grace nodded, dumbfounded. Clearly, this music interest of Frankie's was important to her, even if she had never talked of it before. “Which is your favourite album?” She asked, kneeling next to Frankie. “Your new one?” She added, gesturing to the album still in Frankie's hand.

“No” Frankie said. “But it's signed” She held it up in front of Grace's face so she could see the name penned in red ink on the cover. “And it's the first official release of her 1980 live concert on HBO.” Finally deciding how to sort the mentioned album into the collection, she went to pull out another one to replace it, handing it to Grace. “Beside Trio, and Western Wall, Prisoner in Disguise is the best album she's done I think. That or Heart like a Wheel.” Frankie said confidently.

“Trio?” Now, that was something Grace recognised. She knew she had those records in _her_ collection. “That's Dolly Parton with Emmylou Harris and...and Linda Ronstadt.” Another reason she recognized her. She frowned at the tiny picture of a red-clad girl sitting in a sea of blue in the middle of the otherwise black cover. The free blue space was signed: to Frankie, from Linda Ronstadt.

“Exactly” Frankie looked surprised as she knew who Trio was. Taking back the record from Grace, she pulled out the first Trio album instead. “You know about them? I got all of Linda’s! And nearly all Emmylou's records too...No Dolly Parton though.” Frankie apologised, pulling out another Trio record.

“That's okay, I got those in _my_ collection.” Grace smiled, handing back the Trio record. “I got almost all of Dolly Parton's albums, at least up until the turn of the century. Including the Trio recordings.” She smiled. “It seems we all have our heroes. Have you ever met Linda Ronstadt?” She questioned, smiling gently at Frankie. Clearly she wasn't as loud and proud about this section of her interests as she was about other things, and Grace respected that by trying not to make a big deal out of it.

“Yeah, many times. I kinda knew her a little.” Frankie chuckled, smiling. “I saw her in her first band way back in the 60s. She had the best voice I ever heard.” Frankie smiled one of her ridiculously big smiles, and Grace felt her heart melting, the scene too pure and her hole being too in love with the woman in front of her. “Have you met Dolly Parton?”

“A few times. Just for autographs.” Grace nodded. “I could take you to one of her concerts sometime, maybe? You can take me to a Linda Ronstadt concert in exchange!” She teased, grinning at Frankie.

Maybe exchanging music tastes could be their new shared interest.

Hearing this, however, Frankie's hole faced seemed to collapse. The happiness and excitement was replaced by the hurt and sadness Grace saw when she first came into the studio. “She's retired since 2009 Grace. She can’t sing anymore, because she lost her voice to Parkinson's disease.” Frankie explained, her voice dull and sad.

“I see” Grace hadn't meant to hurt Frankie. She really hadn't. Despite this, it was obvious she had upset her. Then, suddenly, something hit Grace. “Was she the woman in the video you watched? CBS Sunday Morning.”

“Yeah” Frankie nodded, and to grace surprise there was almost tears in her eyes. “She’s so amazing, Grace! The interview was so good and she said so many good things and I just…”

“You went all Frankie about it” Grace supplied helpfully, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It's okay. You should see me watching my favourite Dolly Parton interviews.” Grace cracked a smile.  

Frankie smiled. “You're really a huge Dolly Parton fan, aren't you?” She laughed. “I didn't know that!”

Grace blushed. “The best way to be gay when you shouldn't” She confessed. “I remember she was on The Porter Wagoner Show. That's when I  saw her the first time. Dumb Blonde, you know... And no matter what my mother might think, I wasn't watching it so religiously to see Porter Wagoner.”            

Now,  Frankie laughed for real. “Those were the good days. Dolly is good, but she doesn't quite hit the levels of Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Especially not Linda.” She teased. “Did you ever watch The Johnny Cash Show?”

“Yeah, I did. He had a lot of cute girls on there. His wife was really cute too.” Grace laughed as well.

“June Carter Cash. A classic. I remember Linda was on the show once...and Joni Mitchell too!” Frankie added excitedly.

“Jeannie C Riley was in an episode” Grace added dreamily.

“Melanie Safka as well” Frankie bit back, challenging Grace.

“Tammy Wynette did _Stand by your man_ ” Grace added easily. She wasn't going to let Frankie win this one.

“Bobbi Martin appeared” Frankie crossed her arms, smiling smugly.

“So did Vikki Carr” Grace could do better. She knew she could, even if her knowledge was running thin.

“Cass Elliot was on The Johnny Cash show!” Frankie wanted to win. Oh, how very badly she wanted to win over Grace. She wanted to show she was the best.

“Fuck we're old. And gay.” Grace gave up. She could probably procure another name, but what was the point? Why were they even having this competition? She didn’t know.

“The best kind of people always are” Frankie said pointedly. “Besides, this is way more fun than being young and straight, isn't it?”

“Straight, yes, young no. Young and gay, though…” Grace smiled, moving closer to Frankie, and putting her arms around her.

“I don't mind being old, though.” Frankie said, her arm tight around Grace's neck. Then, she leaned over and kissed and her. “Not if it means I have you”

“Yeah. But I mean it, with the concert for a concert thing. If you come with me to see Dolly we can watch a...a bootleg or something.” Grace laughed.

“Emmylou Harris?” Frankie asked, grinning hopefully at Grace. “Ooooh or Rodney Crowell. Maybe Robert Plant. Those dudes are hard as rock.” She added, clearly excited.

Grace nodded. She knew she was in for a ride if she let Frankie take her to a concert. Yet, it was this way she wanted it to be. She wanted then to be able to share interests and things  that they liked. “Sure. Whatever you like. It's an exchange of interests.”

Frankie nodded obediently. “Dolly Parton” She said, almost as if tasting the name. “I  think I can survive that. You sure you could survive Robert Plant and The Sensational Spaceshifters?” She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“I can survive. But I'd prefer Emmylou Harris or Rodney Crowell.” Grace answered, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at Frankie.

“Maaaaybeeee” Frankie teased, grinning as Grace reached out for her, and she moved out of reach. “Be patient, Grace. It's an exchange of interests.”

She agreed, smiling softly. Frankie was right, it was. “Yes, and in the spirit of being patient with each other's interests, how about you show me that interview you were watching? I'll show you the clip where Dolly Parton says her husband want a threesome with her and Jennifer Aniston afterwards”

Picking up the ipad, Grace sat down on the fake leather sofa and patted the spot next to her.

Frankie hesitated for a second. She stood in front of the turntable, seemingly trying to analyze if the offer was genuine, and it broke Grace heart that she had to think about it.

“Come on. I want to see it, I really do.” Grace patted the spot again, opening  her arms to embrace Frankie when she came around.

“Fine. But that Jennifer Aniston threesome clip better be juicy, because we're going to need something fun to watch afterwards.” Crashing down on the couch, Frankie snuggles up in Grace's arms, her head on her girlfriend's chest as said girlfriend readied the video.

Finally, after some clicking and buffering and more clicking by Grace's sharp nail against the glass screen, Linda Ronstadt's face appeared on the screen before them and a big, content smile spread across Frankie's face.

Grace bent down and kissed Frankie's face. “Love you” She whispered.

“Schh, they're playing Heat Wave”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and a kudos if you liked it!


End file.
